How to check a clinician's credentials and licence
Any directory listing, including this one, is a starting point rather than proof. Before a first appointment, verify two things independently: that the clinician holds a current licence in the place you will be treated, and that the licence is in good standing. Both are checkable in minutes through the relevant public register, and neither depends on trusting the directory.
Where to verify a licence
In the US, licences are issued and published at state level by the relevant medical, nursing or pharmacy board, and each board publishes a public lookup. In the UK and Ireland, doctors appear on the GMC register, nurses and midwives on the NMC register, and pharmacists on their own regulator's register. Searching the regulator directly is more reliable than searching a clinic's own website.
What to look for
A licence lookup normally shows more than a yes or no.
- Current status, and whether it is active or lapsed
- The state, country or region it covers
- Any restrictions, conditions or disciplinary history
- The qualification and the date it was granted
What about telehealth?
For a video appointment, the licence that matters is one covering where you are physically located, not where the clinician sits. This is the single most common reason a booking falls through, so check it before paying anything.
What if the details do not match?
Names change, practices move, and registers lag. A mismatch is more often stale data than a red flag. Ask the practice directly, and if a listing here is out of date, it can be corrected or removed on request.